Torrential downpours have flooded the streets of Recife, Brazil, but the highly anticipated US-Germany World Cup showdown will go on as scheduled at Arena Pernambuco.
A FIFA official kicked a ball around the field and judged the playing surface to be in adequate shape. The US players planned to wear the longest available studs on their cleats to combat the sloshy field conditions.
“You have to deal with it,” US coach Jurgen Klinsmann said on ESPN pre-game Thursday morning. “The field will be very fast, it’s going to be very difficult to have a clean, technical game. Obviously, a lot of fans are stuck, the roads are flooded, [but] you have to deal with it, and that’s what we’ve always done over the years, whatever the conditions are.”
Fans had a whale of a time trekking out to the stadium as city streets turned to active streams. The US family-and-friends contingent is unable to attend the match because the chartered bus did not make it to their pickup. At least superfan Teddy Goalsevelt forged on.